Causes and Symptoms of bone health deterioration

What causes bone health deterioration?

The human body requires a regular intake of mineral, calcium and phosphate to make and keep your bones healthy.

During your lifespan, our bone continues to both reabsorb mature bone and create new bones. The human skeleton is replaced about every 10 years. Providing, your body has a good balance of old & new bone, your bone remain strong and healthy. Usually, a bone loss appears when more old bones are reabsorbed than a new bone is created.

At times, a bone loss takes place without any known cause. On the other hand, bone loss and thin bone disorder are within families and inherited. In most cases, white, older women are more prone to have bone loss problem. Such disorders, increases their risk of breaking a bone.
Weak or unhealthy bones break easily, without even an evident injury. A Brittle or fragile bones can be caused due to anything that destroys your bone, or restrains your body from making enough bone.

Here are the 3 common causes of bone loss;

Aging
As the person grows old, our body reabsorbs calcium and phosphate from our bone, rather than keeping these minerals in your bones. This makes your bone weaker, and develops Osteoporosis.

An individual suffering with osteoporosis will fracture a bone, before they even know they have a bone loss. This may even lead to serious bone loss condition. It is a commonly observed condition in women over age 50 and men over the age 70, than younger men and women.
In women, a drop in estrogen hormone is the main cause of bone loss. On the other hand, in men a drop of testosterone hormone is the cause for bone loss.

Lifestyle choices
Our body requires calcium and vitamin D and regular exercise to build and keep-up strong bones. It becomes difficult for your body to make new bones if you do not have enough calcium in your meals. Certain lifestyle habits can cause long term effects on your body, such as
Consumption of alcohol - Alcohol can damage your bones by increasing the risk of falling and breaking a bone.

Excessive Smoking

Individual who smoke regularly have weaker bones. Especially in women who smoke after menopauses are at higher chance of bone loss. Younger women with irregular menstrual cycle also have a higher risk of bone loss or osteoporosis.

Being underweight, is linked to less bone mass and weaker bones.

Medical disorder causing bone loss - There are a number of chronic medical conditions that can keep a person confined to bed or chair for an elongated period of time. Inability to walk or exercise may lead to bone loss or fracture.

Medical conditions leading to bone loss are;

Ø  Arthritis

Ø  Chronic kidney disease

Ø  Overactive parathyroid gland

Some medications that treat certain health conditions can also cause bone loss they are;

•           Hormone-blocking treatments for prostate cancer or breast cancer

•           Medicines used to treat seizures or epilepsy

•           Glucocorticoid (steroid) medicines, if they are taken by mouth for several times in 3 months or more

Treatment that causes calcium or vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak bones they are;
•           Weight-loss surgery (Gastric bypass)

•           Cystic fibrosis

•           Individuals with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, are at higher risk for osteoporosis.

Signs and symptoms

There are generally no signs & symptoms of bone loss until a bone breaks. Fractures of the spine, wrist, upper arm, pelvis, and hip are most common. The fractures can be very painful and can lead to long-term disability.

Over the years, there may be a gradual loss in height due to weakened and compressed vertebrae in the spine. Spinal fractures or crumbling of affected vertebral bones can lead to bent-over posture and may cause severe back pain.